


Xander's Story

by historyinthefandom



Category: Beyonders Series - Brandon Mull
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood, F/M, Mild Language, not often though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2018-11-02 10:46:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10942908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/historyinthefandom/pseuds/historyinthefandom
Summary: Alexander Andrews, usually just known as Xander or Colt, is a normal 21 year old college student trying to graduate and get on with his life. What will he do when he is transported to a world he had no idea existed?





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Just the intro for now. I should have the second chapter posted soon. Enjoy!

"Colt! Get out here and help us with this!" My father hollered from outside the house. I sighed and reluctantly got up from the kitchen table, ending my conversation with my mother. I stepped over the dog at my feet and went outside to help Jacob and Dad unload the new lawn mower. Jacob is my little brother, well... I guess he's not so little anymore, he's seventeen. There is always work to be done when I come home from college for the holidays, and sometimes my father and brother wait to do certain jobs until I get home just so they can have more help. I don't mind at all though, I love my family just like anyone does and it doesn't bother me that they need my help from time to time.

They don't like to admit it, but I was adopted. "Xander, you are just as special to us as Jacob is. The only difference between you and us is that you were born to a different family." That's what my mother said the day they told me, her eyes sweet and comforting, her warm southern accent making me feel better about this new found fact. I don't see them any different now than when I thought I was born to this family, they raised me and I love them more than anything. That will never change.

After we got the lawn mower off the trailer and into the tool barn we all went inside to sit in the living room. The smell of dinner cooking wafted from the kitchen where my mother was cooking, it was her turn tonight and tomorrow it would be me cooking. 

"So how's your school going? I hear you changed your major earlier in the year." My father said casually, sounding like he was just wondering, even though we all knew that there would be a lecture about making up my mind about what I am going to do with my life. "Can we talk about this tomorrow?" I asked. "I just got here a couple of hours ago and I'd rather not have a long conversation about college at the moment." 

I don't know what he meant by the look he gave me, but he nodded after a second and let me drop the subject. Mom chose that moment to come in and announce that dinner was ready. We shuffled into the dining room and sat down to eat, making small talk here and there but we were mostly quiet until my father spoke up. "Colt, once you finish eating I need you to go check the fence line. A couple of the cows went missing a few days ago and I'm not sure what happened to them." He left no room for argument so I didn't say anything, I only nodded before going back to my food.

After dinner I helped mom clear the table before going out to the barn to get Stone, my black gelding who's getting a bit old but still loves to run. After I get Stone saddled and ready to go we start out toward the edge of my parent's large property. It's about a fifteen minute ride before we get to the fence so I keep Stone slow for a few minutes before letting him run.

The edge of our property is actually the edge of a cliff but the fence was put up about ten feet away from the steep drop. There is a river about one hundred and fifty feet below the cliff that is almost always running rapidly. 

As we reach the fence I can already see the problem. There is a huge section of the fence that is completely missing, big enough to fit three or four cows in between each post. No wonder dad had lost some cattle, this is the pasture he lets them graze during this part of the year.

I guide Stone through the hole in the fence and dismount, keeping a firm hand on the reins. Upon closer inspection I can see clearly that the portion of fence missing was cut from the rest, not torn. I glance around quickly, looking for the piece of fencing that was cut but I can't see it anywhere. "Looks like we've go some work to do. Huh, Stone?" I say as I turn around to face the horse. Stone has his head raised high, looking toward a tree line. His ears are raised and alert and he keeps shifting like he's getting ready to run. "What is is man?" I ask quietly, trying not to startle him. He turns his head toward me for a moment before turning back to the tree line. I keep quiet and try to see or hear what ever it is that has him so restless, but I don't notice anything out of the ordinary.

Suddenly Stone throws his head and the reins almost slip from my hand, "Easy, Stone," I say as I put up my other hand to his neck. Just before my finger tips make contact Stone rears up and I quickly step to the side of him so that he doesn't stomp me when he comes back down. Stone throws his head again while he's on his hind legs and the reins slip from my grasp. I take another quick step backward to give him a little more room to calm down, but I didn't realize how close I was to the edge of the cliff. When I realized my mistake my foot had already slipped and I was loosing my balance, falling backward off the cliff.

I reached for something to grab as I fell but nothing was there but Stone, and I wasn't about to take my horse down with me. I screamed as I fell, expecting the large rocks in the river to kill me as soon as my back hit the water. The terrifying fall came to a quick halt as soon as my back hit the water though, because now I felt like I was being lifted upward. Is that what death feels like? Do you just feel like you are being carried up?

Apparently not.

I hit the ground hard, landing mainly on my right shoulder and on my head. I gasped in pain as I laid on the ground, looking around at my surroundings and trying to get my bearings. Where I am now is a completely different setting from before. The steep mountains were replaced with gently rolling hills, and the daunting river was replaced by a ruined castle at the end of the stone pathway I had landed on. I could see someone at the gate of the castle, looking toward me but I didn't try to get help for some reason.

I felt something wet on the ground around my head. I glanced down to see a puddle of blood that was spreading rapidly. So that's why I was feeling so light headed, I thought to myself. Surprisingly, I wasn't that concerned about it and looked back up at the person I saw at the gate of the castle. My vision started to blur out but I could see that the person was an older man who was now walking toward me. 

The man started to walk faster. I closed my eyes, feeling dizzy and sleepy at the same time. I could hear the man running now, though it sounded like I was listening to his footsteps under water. Slowly everything started to frizzle out of my focus and I slipped into unconsciousness just before the man reached me.


	2. Lyrian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Colt comes to in a strange room after his fall into a new world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second chapter of this story, feedback is very welcome. The only thing I claim ownership to is the character of Alexander. Enjoy!

I came to slowly, gradually becoming aware of my surroundings. I opened my eyes to a dimly lit room, being illuminated only by a fire burning in the hearth on the other side of the room. When I looked up I saw the underside of a dark blue canopy with golden sunbursts. The bed I was laid in was huge enough to fit at least three people comfortably. Confusion overcame me, this was definitely not my room. Where am I? I'm supposed to be home from college for the holidays. 

I shot up, sitting up in the bed and wincing when my head started to throb from the sudden movement. It all came back to me in a quick flash, the fall from the cliff and into the river. But as soon I had hit the water I was pulled up for a moment and then I was falling again. I remember the castle and the man who ran over to investigate after I landed. I remember the pain in my shoulder and head, I remember the blood pooling around me. How am I not dead? Where was I? Did my family know that I was hurt? 

I only noticed the woman sitting next to the bed when she stood, placing a gentle hand on my injured shoulder. She startled me slightly but I didn't show it, she didn't seem like she meant me any harm. "Where am I?" I gasped out, suddenly feeling like I was hyperventilating. I mentally scolded myself at the anxiety that was bubbling up in my chest, this was not a good time for a panic attack. I looked away from the woman, who looked very concerned, and quietly tried to get my breathing back under control. 

"You are in Fortaim. The castle of the Blind King. May I ask you your name?" The woman spoke in a soft voice, clearly she saw how shaken I was. 

I was shaking a bit now, trying to keep my breathing normal but I was failing miserably. My chest felt tight, like I was drowning outside of water. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to calm myself. It took me a long moment to register what the lady had said about the castle and a blind king. "Colt," I said instinctively in response to her question about my name, even though it was just a nick name given to me when I was a child because Jacob couldn't say my name until he was about eight.

The woman removed her hand from my shoulder and spoke again in the same soft tone, "It's nice to meet you Colt. My name is Chandra, I am a servant to the king." 

I nodded in acknowledgement, "How long have I been here, Chandra?" I asked quietly, afraid of the answer. My shaking was slowly going away and I had opened my eyes again. Chandra looked like she was thinking for a moment before she answered, 

"You have been here at the castle for two and a half days. We were beginning to think that you wouldn't wake." I sighed shakily and nodded. Two and a half days, my family definitely thinks I'm dead. I probably am and this is just the afterlife, but if it was the afterlife why would there be a king and why would his servant care if I woke up? Maybe this is all just a dream and i'm in a coma.

Chandra's voice broke through my train of thought, "The King made it clear that he wanted to speak with you when you woke, and since you have I should probably go and fetch him," Her tone wasn't as soft now but she still spoke to me as if I was a spooked horse that was about to bolt. 

I cocked my head to the side in confusion, "Isn't it normally the commoner going to the King? Not the King going to the commoner?"

Chandra nodded, "Yes, but at this point in time I don't believe that you would make it all the way to the throne room," She explained. I made an 'o' shape with my mouth and nodded. I was starting to feel more comfortable around this woman.

Chandra stepped away from my and the bed, "I'll be right back, don't you go anywhere. It wouldn't be safe for you to be walking around the castle with that head injury," She said sternly. 

"Yes ma'am," I said in the same tone I would use when my mother told me what to do. Chandra looked at me with slight confusion before she nodded and left the room. While she was gone I glanced around the room some more. There was a trunk at the foot of the bed, a small table with a couple of chairs in the corner, and armchair near the fireplace, and a dresser. It was a large room, roughly the size of my parents' living room.

My legs had started to feel cramped from not being used for so long so I lifted the covers and scooted over to the edge of the bed and put my feet on the ground. The floor was cold but I guess that's to be expected with a stone floor. I stood up slowly, my entire body aching with the simple movement. I took a cautious step and then another, my legs were shaking a bit but I wasn't going to fall. I walked over to the window and turned around and walked to the other side of the bed and sat down so that I was sitting in front of the chair Chandra had been sitting in.

As I was sitting down the door opened and Chandra came in with an old bearded man wearing a blindfold followed her. Chandra looked at me with a frown, "I thought I told you not to go anywhere Colt," She said sharply, the old man turned his head toward her as if looking at her. 

I shrugged, "I didn't leave the room, I just needed to stretch my legs a bit. No harm in taking a few steps around the room." Chandra glared at me gently and continued toward me, leading the old man who I assumed was the king. Chandra guided the man to the chair a few feet in front of me and he sat down. Chandra made a motion toward me and it took me a moment before I understood what it meant and spoke to the king. "Greetings my king," I said respectfully. 

The bearded king nodded toward me then turned his head toward Chandra and spoke in a raspy voice, "You may return to your duties." Chandra curtsied and left the room. As soon as the door closed the king spoke again, head turned toward me again, "Where do you come from Colt?"

"I live in Texas but I was born in California," I answered easily before adding, "Oh, and my name is actually Xander but I'm used to being called Colt." Really barely anyone back home ever called me Xander.

The blind king nodded, "Very well Colt," He said easily, "I haven't heard of the places you're talking about. May I ask, do you come from Earth?" He asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"Yeah, I come from Earth..." I sounded confused even to myself, "Is this not Earth? If it's not, where am I?"

"You are in Lyrian. People from your world have crossed over into Lyrian before but it does not happen frequently," He explained, "May I ask what you were doing to be in such shape when you crossed between worlds?"

"I fell off a cliff and into a river." I said simply, shrugging my shoulders even though he couldn't see the gesture. "The injuries happened when I landed on the pathway leading up to the castle..." It dawned on me that I didn't know the blind king's name, "May I know your name sir? You know both of mine."

A small smile appeared on the king's face, causing dimples to appear on his cheeks. "You're rather observant, most people don't realize that I don't share my name." He said, sitting up a tad bit straighter, "My name is Galloran, son of Dromidus." 

"It's nice to meet you sir." I said with a smile in my voice, "You wouldn't happen to know when the next meal is?" I asked, my stomach rumbling loudly because I hadn't eaten in two days. 

Galloran chuckled and nodded, "I'll have something brought up to you soon. Now if you will excuse me I believe my squire will be returning from assignment soon." The blind king stood and made his way to the door as if he could see and stepped out, being met by a man who closed the door behind him without even looking at me.

I sighed quietly, "I've got a lot of things to figure out," I said to myself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting will be slow for a few weeks after this is up, but after that chapters will be posted at least one per week. I promise the story with get more interesting in the coming chapters once these intro chapters are over. Comments are welcome.


	3. Attack

After meeting Galloran and eating I realized how tired I really was. I supposed I needed more sleep than I normally would considering how injured I was. I also realized that I was in different clothes than I was wearing the day I fell off the cliff. As I sat in bed I blushed in embarrassment and wondered who changed my clothes.

I miss home. It may have only been two days but I may never see them again and it’s making more homesick than anything else ever has. Jacob will be graduating next year and if I can’t find a way back I’ll never get to see that. I’ll never graduate college if I don’t get back, never get married or have children. There’s so many things I’ll miss out on.Sleep overcame me before I even realized that I was dozing off.

\---------------------------

There was a hand jostling me awake roughly. Thankfully the person wasn’t gripping my injured shoulder. I frowned and forced my eyes open. There was a man looking down at me, an urgent look on his face. “What is it?” I asked, moving to sit up. The man didn’t say anything, only stepped away from the bed and motioned for me to get up. I moved to the edge of the bed and stood up. The man motioned for me to follow him and turned for the door. “I thought I wasn’t supposed to walk around,” I said. The man turned back to me and took me by the elbow, leading me over to the door and opening it.

When the door opened I noticed the noise from downstairs for the first time. It sounded like sword fighting like in the movies, though I couldn’t tell. The man tugged on my arm and I winced at the sharp pain. He seemed like he didn’t notice my discomfort and pulled me up the stairs to our right. “Where are we going?” I wasn’t surprised when he didn’t answer the question. 

Soon enough I got the answer as we reached the top of the stairs and the man opened a door. He led me into a large bedroom but I didn’t have time to look around as he pulled me over to a wall and lifted a tapestry, pulling a small lever. The wall opened into a door and the man pushed me into a narrow passage. I turned to face the man who was now behind me but he closed the door behind me and I was plunged into darkness.

I turned back around and placed my hand on a wall, shuffling my feet forward. As I tried to feel my way through the passage I wondered what was going on. I assumed something bad, but that the man had done me a solid by bringing me here. What was going on downstairs? 

I went down the stairs I felt, shivering from the cold of the dark passage. My feet were freezing cold without shoes on. When I reached the bottom of the stairs I felt along the wall and found a door. Reaching for the handle I found it wasn’t locked, I opened it and stepped into the room. 

After I had felt around the walls for another door I stepped away from the wall with my hands out in front of me. I shuffled around a bit but after a while I felt my foot hit a metal ring on the ground. I crouched down and gripped the ring, pulling upward and lifting a wooden hatch from the ground. “Hello?” I called out, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to continue without help.

A light appeared from within the chamber below me. The gatewarden who ran out to help me on the pathway to the castle stood about twenty feet below me. He held a crossbow and a torch as he looked up at me. Setting down the crossbow he stepped out of sight briefly and came back with a rope ladder. He threw it up to me and I glanced around the edge of the hatch and found two hooks to hang the ladder from. I attached the ladder to the hooks and started to clamber down into the chamber.

As I reached the bottom the man spoke, “So you woke up after all. I’m Vernon.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Vernon. Thank you for saving my life, I’ll be forever indebted to you.” 

Vernon shook his head with a smile and motioned me to follow him. I was starting to feel dizzy. As Vernon led me down a passageway I noticed a short man standing against a wall but I didn’t speak to him. We reached a door and Vernon knocked. We waited a moment before Galloran opened the door and Vernon spoke, “Sire, our guest has made it.” Galloran nodded and opened the door wider to allow us in. I stepped inside the well lit room but Vernon didn’t follow, Galloran closed the door behind me. 

“Please, sit.” He motioned to a chair as if he could see and sat down on a cot. “You must be confused,” He spoke, “I apologize for the abruptness but the castle is under attack.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, it's been a crazy month. Hopefully updates will be pretty regular from here on in. Comments and constructive criticism are welcome. Thanks for reading!


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy

“Under attack?” My voice sounded disbelieving. Who would want to attack a ruined castle that was home to a blind man? “Who’s attacking? Why?” 

The blind king looked serious even with the blindfold and beard covering most of his face. “There is much that I need to explain to you about Lyrian and the events that are currently taking place.”

After Galloran had explained most of what was happening in Lyrian and who had ordered the attack on the castle. Now I understood some things, like how Maldor was a wizard who was trying to conquer Lyrian. I also now knew that a word that was supposed to kill Maldor was actually a fraud and the man that I saw standing against the wall outside was there to tell Galloran this.

The blind king had only explained some of the basics when I started to feel light-headed. I tried to ignore the unnerving feeling that was brought on by the thought that I was going to faint. I continued listening to what Galloran was saying but soon enough the dizzy feeling was too prominent to ignore any longer. I waited for the Blind King to pause his explaining to speak, “I’m sorry to interrupt you but I’m feeling faint,” I said, my voice sounding weaker than I would have expected it to.

Galloran nodded and stood motioning for me to follow him and I did. We got to the door and he opened it, allowing me to step out before calling down the hall to Vernon. When the gatewarden was near enough to hear the his raspy voice the Blind King spoke, “Show Colt to a place where he can sleep, his head is not healed enough to be out of bed for this long.”

Vernon bowed even though Galloran could not see him and uttered a quick ‘yes sire’ before leading me farther down the hallway to a small room without a door. The room had a couple of thick blankets folded in one corner, nothing else was in the room. Vernon spoke, “It’s not much but it’s the second warmest room in the underground chambers of Fortaim.”

I nodded in thanks to Vernon and set about laying one blanket on the ground for me to lay on before unfolding the other to use for it’s intended purpose and laying down. I quickly fell into a deep sleep.

\--------------------------------------------

After I woke up I found Vernon and stuck up a conversation with him. We had been talking for a while about where I come from and what it’s like when Vernon looked at me with a weird expression. “Did you not have a chance to bathe yesterday after you woke up? There’s still blood in your hair, and there’s some on your face too.”

His question caught me by surprise, I hadn’t realized that there would be blood in my hair and on my face. “No I didn’t. It didn’t even occur to me for some reason. Is there somewhere I can at least wash my face? I’m sure I need to shave too.”

Vernon nodded, “Follow me, you won’t be able to bathe but there’s a mirror and some water.”

I followed after Vernon, trying to make sure that I would know my way back to the storage room I was staying in. When we arrived to where we were heading I saw that it was unsurprisingly another storage room with a grimy mirror on the ground leaning on one wall and a few barrels of what I assumed was water were stacked up against the far wall. I have to sit down on the floor to see myself in the mirror.

Vernon takes a bowl that’s atop one of the barrels and fills it up using a tap attached to one of the barrels. He steps over to me and sets the bowl down on the floor next to me along with a knife so that I can shave, and pulls a pair of glasses out of his pocket. “I forgot to give these to you, they fell off after you hit your the ground. You’re damn lucky they didn’t break when you hit your head.” He smiles briefly before turning and leaving me in the room alone.

I slip my glasses on and look at myself in the mirror and am surprised at how ragged I look. There is dried blood caked in my jet black hair which is undercut, my right eyebrow has a cut going through it with a single stitch holding it together. My grey eyes are bloodshot and look a bit tired from not wearing my glasses and I have a bit of a headache as well. My facial hair has grown a bit so now I have a little bit of a beard. I sigh and lift my arms as best I can with my injured shoulder and look to see if there is any major grime on them. I can’t see any dirt of blood on my arms, just a few scrapes that won’t scar my tattoo sleeved arms.

I lean down to wash my face as best I can, being careful of the cut on my eyebrow. After I’ve gotten as much of the blood and dirt off of my face and out of my hair I reach over and grab the knife. I shave slowly and carefully since I don’t have any shaving cream, it takes me longer than it ever has. Once I get done I look a tiny bit better so I stand up to my full height, which is 6’ 5”, and stretch my back before stretching my arms carefully for my shoulder. I’m fairly muscled, not bodybuilder level but not skinny either.

Heading back to my room after I get rid of the water I see four men standing with Vernon who I hadn’t seen before so I put on a friendly face. Two of the men are taller than I am, one freakishly so and one is just taller than average, they both seem kind of unapproachable. Another one of the men is a little bit shorter than me and looks to be about 13 or 14 despite his height, he seems very approachable. The last man is a little shorter than the third and is wearing an eyepatch, he seems a bit less friendly than the third.

Vernon sees me and waves me over, as I walk over the second tallest man looks me over with slight confusion. The tallest and shortest men both just seem indifferent to me while the youngest is smiling. I turn to Vernon, “What’s up?” I ask and he looks at me in confusion. 

“If you wouldn’t mind, I need you to take these four to see the king. He was expecting Nedwin here,” He gestures to the tall redhead, “back a couple days ago. I assume he would also like to speak with the rest of you.”

I nod and motion for the men to follow me before heading toward where the blind king is staying. The youngest man walks beside me and strikes up a conversation and by the time we reach Galloran’s door I know that his name is Jason and that he is also from Earth. I also know that that the tallest man’s name is Aram and that the man with the eyepatch is Ferrin.

Before any of us can knock on the door the blind king opens it, and before I know it me Jason and Nedwin are in the room with Galloran and Dorsio. What they end up talking about is way over my head and I don’t understand so I zone out a bit, my head and injured shoulder throbbing with how much I’ve been moving around today. My vision starts to go a little black and I panic a little but I don’t say anything until I feel like I’m really going to faint. “Uh sorry to interrupt but-” I don’t get to finish as everything goes black and I feel myself falling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! Hopefully I'll be able to post more once I get used to being in college. Comments are very welcome.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Comments are welcome and appreciated. Updates may be slow at times especially for the next few weeks because I will be preparing for finals.


End file.
